Spotlight On: Taylor Eighmy, President, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio)
September 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Taylor Eighmy, president of The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), discussed the integration of the two Tier One research institutions. “The opportunity to bring two excellent institutions together to create a new, world-class university is truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Eighmy said.
What is your overarching vision in your roles at UTSA and UT Health San Antonio?
The opportunity to bring two excellent institutions together to create a new, world-class university is truly a once-in-a-lifetime moment. The caliber of this opportunity reflects the belief that our Board of Regents has in us and in our trajectories regarding the potential to create a model public research university for San Antonio, for Texas, for the nation, and for the world.
Looking ahead 10 years, we envision an infinitely impactful institution, operating at scale, dramatically changing the trajectory of our community and deeply influencing future generations of Texans. We will achieve this by educating and preparing students to join the workforce, strengthening our economy, and improving lives through our massive healthcare enterprise. These visionary goals will require significant effort, but San Antonio deserves a world-class institution of this caliber. If you think about the momentum of Texas and the rapid growth of San Antonio in particular, this is the perfect time to come together and form this premier university. We are committed to ensuring that, over the next decade, this new university becomes everything our community and the state of Texas deserve.
Why is now the right time for this integration, and what outcomes are you prioritizing in these first years?
It is truly special that our Board of Regents and our Chairman, Kevin Eltife, have been so creative in assessing the component assets of The University of Texas System and determining how to position them for maximum benefit to Texas. There have been several bold initiatives in the last five to six years that reflect this thinking.
For example, the merger of UT Tyler and UT Health Tyler, the co-location of MD Anderson and the Dell Medical School’s research and development efforts, the establishment of a West Campus in Fort Worth for UT Arlington, and the acquisition of Stephen F. Austin University are all part of this strategic realignment. Our merger is something the Board had considered for a while, and they believed that now was the right time. This decision reflects their confidence in the trajectories of our two institutions and their belief that our region deserves and needs a world-class university.
We became a world-class university on day one. With this merger, we became the third-largest public research university in Texas. We have more than 40,000 students, 17,000 faculty and staff, approximately 320 academic programs, more than 500 active clinical trials, $486 million in annual research expenditures, and an economic impact of about $7 billion per year. We’re equivalent in scale and scope to many of the nation’s AAU institutions. The University of Texas System has made many bold moves over the years, but I believe this is the boldest one yet.
What makes San Antonio a strategic location for a research university like UTSA, and how do you differentiate yourselves?
The San Antonio region already has a healthy, diversified economy and a growing workforce. San Antonio has really emerged as a preeminent hub for fields like cybersecurity, healthcare and life sciences, financial services, aerospace, and engineering. We want to build on those strengths and bring positive momentum to other components of the San Antonio workforce.
Going through this process, we have met with internal and external stakeholders, including civic leaders, political leaders, business leaders, donors, alumni, future Roadrunner families, nonprofits, and the broader business community. Their expectations, hopes, and aspirations for our institution and our city closely parallel our mission. Much of our vision revolves around the concept of excellence; excellence in opportunity, impact, investment, and partnership. Our community has repeatedly expressed that San Antonio needs, deserves, and warrants this level of excellence. As Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “If you want a great city, build a great university and wait 200 years.” Our motto aligns with this idea: if you want to accelerate San Antonio’s trajectory, give us 10 years to realize our vision.
How are you addressing the challenges associated with the political headwinds regarding the value proposition of higher education?
In our South Texas community, the value proposition of a four-year degree, an advanced degree, or higher education at large remains powerful. We aim to be an exemplary institution for the world. The way we advocate for access, opportunity, and excellence is something the rest of the world should observe. We are committed to doing this better here, and I believe people will gravitate toward our model. Our projected fall enrollment for this year is strong, despite broader challenges. This reflects growing recognition of our institution’s balanced commitment to access, opportunity, and excellence.
How are you attracting top-tier faculty and researchers to fill high-skilled roles?
We are planning significant institutional growth across our clinical, research, and enrollment sectors. I mentioned some of the metrics that establish UT San Antonio as a world-class university earlier, but additionally, we have a $2.8 billion enterprise with an endowment of around $1.3 billion. We also have nearly 200,000 living alumni. All of these metrics position us as a highly impactful, large-scale, Top 50 public research university from day one. Our trajectory over the next decade is even more compelling, making us attractive to students, staff, faculty, and administrators. Many are drawn to San Antonio’s unique advantages and our institutional narrative.
We face the pleasant challenge of high interest from talented individuals eager to join us. This is reflected in rising enrollment, faculty recruitment, and staff retention. People are inspired by our vision and the opportunities here.
Texas itself is a major advantage, as our economy is robust. The proximity to Mexico, our role as the gateway to the Americas, and our expanding GDP make San Antonio an ideal location. In fact, many universities nationwide recruit in San Antonio because of these strengths. We are in an enviable position, and my focus is on maximizing this potential every day. The leadership and partnerships that we have been able to build are also awe-inspiring.
Lastly, if there is one thing I want people to take away from this conversation, it is that the merger of UTSA and UT Health San Antonio is intentional, transformational, and regionally catalytic. It is built on access, excellence, research and innovation, and a deep connection to advancing San Antonio’s future. We make lives better.
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